di·a·chron·ic (adj.): Of or concerned with phenomena as they change through time.
par·a·digm (noun): A typical example or pattern; an example serving as a model.

Friday, March 12, 2010

The Utah State Licensure Process

I've been hanging out in Utah for the past week because it's spring break, and where else would you go for spring break except a city that's known for Mormons, a lack of public drunkeness and debauchery, and still-wintry weather? Miami be damned.

I've been slowly getting things in order for the likelihood of moving to Utah within the next several months. This means, at least partly, that I need to transfer my New York State-teacher certification to Utah, which is, at best, a hassle.

I submitted to another background check last Friday, and which came back as "cleared" this morning. I've had them done many times before, and within the past 3 or so years in both NY and PA. Now I've been researched in three states! Cost to have this done: $69.

Yesterday I was fingerprinted again. I've been fingerprinted in New York - twice - as part of the initial teacher certification procedures, and again in Pennsylvania since I've moved back because I had applied for a job working with children. You'd think they'd look at the database and see that I've been fingerprinted, but I guess that's how these things work. Cost to be fingerprinted again: $20

I registered for the English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge Praxis exam (a state certification exam not used in New York, which uses different exams, but used in a number of other states, including Utah and Pennsylvania). The test is tomorrow morning at about 7:30 a.m. at the University of Utah and is 120 questions long; test takers are given two hours. Each state has a different score for "passing" (I need a score of 168 to "pass" in Utah; in Pennsylvania, that score is 160). Cost to take this exam: $130 ($80 test fee; $50 online registration fee).

Once all the results trickle in and I pass the various background checks and exam, I'll have to officially apply for Utah State Licensure. Cost of the application: $80.

These things all cost money, and if I want a job here this is my best chance of finding one. Fortunately, one can do this in stages, as I've been doing, and not necessarily all at once. Things do take a long time, though: The background check took a week; the results of the fingerprinting will take 4-6 weeks, as will getting the results of the Praxis exam.